Central Texas
|Last reviewed: August 2026Hays County Ag Exemption Requirements
Property tax exemption requirements and resources for Hays County, Texas. Below you'll find the rules for each exemption type, the filing deadline, and your local appraisal district contact information.
Appraisal District
Hays Central Appraisal District
21001 N IH 35, Kyle, TX 78640
Available exemptions
Agricultural
Livestock, crops, hay, and general farming operations.
Requirements
- Apply by April 30
Qualifying uses
Located in Edwards Plateau (Eastern) region. Minimum 5 acres actively managed for agriculture. Intensity standards vary by land type and location.
Wildlife Management
Native habitat management on land with existing ag valuation.
Requirements
- Requires existing ag valuation
- 3 management practices required
Minimum 20 acres for stand-alone wildlife tract, or 12.5 acres as part of a larger wildlife management area. Wildlife Use Percentage of 95% adopted by Hays CAD Board.
Beekeeping
Honey bee operations as a qualifying agricultural use.
Requirements
- Minimum 5 acres
- Minimum 6 hives
6 colonies minimum on 5 acres. 1 additional hive per 1.5 additional acres (stricter than state guideline). Must register with Texas Apiary Inspection Service and submit landscape/foraging plan.
Timber
Managed timber production on qualifying acreage.
Not a primary timber-producing region.
Learn more about each exemption
Conservation easements in Hays County
Active land trust presence. High development pressure from Austin/San Antonio growth. Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. Conservation easements are a separate instrument from property tax exemptions - they generate a federal income tax deduction by permanently restricting development rights. Most landowners benefit from both an exemption and an easement.
Hays County agricultural profile
Stocking rates & intensity standards
Varies by ecological zone within the county, Edwards Plateau (western) has lower carrying capacity than Blackland Prairie (eastern). Beekeeping requires 1 additional hive per 1.5 acres after the 5-acre/6-hive minimum, stricter than the state standard of 1 per 2.5 acres.
Wildlife management minimum is 20 acres for standalone tracts (or 12.5 acres as part of a larger area), higher than the state default. Hays CAD adopted a 95% Wildlife Use Percentage. Beekeeping requires TAIS registration and a landscape/foraging plan. Contact: (512) 268-2522.
How to apply
To apply for a property tax exemption in Hays County, contact the Hays Central Appraisal District directly. The standard application deadline is April 30 of each year, though late applications may be accepted until the appraisal review board approves the appraisal records.
The primary application form is Form 50-129 (Application for 1-d-1 Agricultural Use Appraisal), available from the Hays Central Appraisal District website or the Texas Comptroller's office.
If the use of your land changes, you may face a rollback tax - the difference between what you paid under the special valuation and what you would have paid at market value, for the 3 years preceding the year of the change. The change-of-use year itself is not included, and for 1-d-1 open-space land no interest is added to the rollback.
Estimated savings in Hays County
Average tax rate: 1.65% - Market value: $7,203/ac - Ag value: $105/ac
Per-acre values are regional averages, not Hays County appraisals. Use them for a rough estimate only.
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